


The Muse

by FoggyJam



Category: Nandermo, What we do in the shadows
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25821061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoggyJam/pseuds/FoggyJam
Summary: Guillermo is an artist who runs into a mysterious stranger on a brisk night home. This stranger becomes his muse.
Relationships: Guillermo de la Cruz/Nandor the Relentless
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

Guillermo had been alone for sometime now and he was getting used to it. Apart from his paintbrushes, he didn’t really have any meaningful relationships. All he really did was work and paint. Although lately his inspiration had been lacking, He hadn’t completed anything that he enjoyed in ages. To be honest, he was tired of painting other people’s pets for extra money. Inspiration seemed to elude him. It’s not that he didn’t try, in fact he was always seeking something that he could draw inspiration from. He would go for walks, sit in parks, people watch, he would pick up random books. Recently nothing had been working. Guillermo didn’t know that he was about to meet his strongest muse yet. All on a hurried night home.  
It was late and the gallery Guillermo worked at needed to be closed up, he was already a good half hour behind his usual schedule. Having finally locked the doors, Guillermo quickly walked out and down the block in a rush, so much of a rush in fact that he had completely missed the 6 foot tall stranger standing right in front of him as he turned the corner. “Oof” Guillermo hit the ground, dropping his bag and phone in the process. “Ow.” Standing dead center was a man, shrouded in darkness. He looked like a 15 foot shadow hovering over him. “I’m sorry.” He said while on all fours quickly picking up the stuff from his bag. An arm extended towards him, he looked up, the stranger was holding his phone. He reached for it but before he could say anything else, the man was gone. He hadn’t even gotten a clear look at him or the chance to say thank you.

His mind was reeling when he had gotten home. The mysterious stranger burned in his mind. He had barely thrown off his coat when he set his canvas to easel, picked up his brush and began to work. What felt like mere minutes had actually been hours. Putting his paint brush down, he stepped back, sat on his bed and looked at his work. There he was, his mysterious stranger. The tall man with no discernible features. Painted in Abstract style with bright Art Deco colors thrown over muted tones. For the first time in months, he was placated by his work. The feeling only lasted a moment though as he remembered he had agreed to work that morning. He looked at the time “ugh… it’s 3 in the morning. I should really think about getting some sleep.” Guillermo went through his nightly routine of brushing his teeth, washing his face and setting out his clothes for the next day. Cuddling up into bed, he was ready for sleep.

“I’m sorry.” The words echoed in his mind. The stranger entered his dreams but he seemed different. He felt he should be scared but he wasn’t, in fact, he felt the opposite. He felt… Safe. Never had he felt such safety and familiarity with anyone, let alone a complete stranger. Stepping in closer to him, he grabbed the man’s cape and it was in that moment, that his alarm sounded. Guillermo shook awake, startled, still dazed from his dream. “Is it really time to get up?” He rolled over and hit his alarm. Laying there he thought about how he was feeling. In his dream his stranger didn’t talk, rather he looked down at him, staring deep into his eyes, as if he was trying to pull him close. Trying to loose this thought was harder than he had imagined and he had to get ready for the day.

He made his way into work, clocking Jeremy the second he walked in. Guillermo did not like Jeremy, he was always hanging around the gallery, thinking he could slum up for some college credits. “Guillermo, hey! Did you need any help setting up this exhibit?” With a heavy but stern sigh, Guillermo tried to be nice.“No. Jeremy.You’re not registered to handle any of the art work, we have been through this. Why don’t you just go home.” He nudged him towards the door, pushed him out of the gallery and locked the door behind him.“ Who let Jeremy in?” 

The night went fairly quick and apart from Jeremy everything went well, no casualties in installments. Heading out of the gallery he felt equal parts nervous and giddy at the thought of running into his mystery stranger. He threw his bag over his shoulder and headed down the block. It had been some days since his run in, he would be lying if he said he hadn’t been checking the scene of the incident every night while on his walk home. Unfortunately, there was nothing. It was just another boring walk home.

“I’m sorry.” There they were again, those words which continued to haunt him. Looking back on it, he felt bamboozled in the moment. He wondered what could have been if he had said more than “I’m sorry.” “God, I’m such an idiot.” As he drifted back to sleep he caught his strangers face, a little more this time. It seemed that every night he dreamed of him, he became that much clearer. He could now make out long hair, a beard and. Wait, were those… fangs? Guillermo lunged awake in a sweat. As he threw the covers off of him papers went flying all over the floor. “What the-?” Picking up one of the pages, he noticed that he was leaving tracks of finger prints. “Charcoal…Okay, what is going on?” Dropping the paper he went to the bathroom to wash his hands. When he retuned to his bed, he picked up one of the pages and realized that these were sketches. When did he draw these? He had no recollection of even getting up in the night. Examining one of the sketches, he quickly recognized who it was. “Why can’t I stop thinking about him?”Along with the sketches, Guillermo had painted 5 full works, all different styles, and angles from his dreams and all in the span of a month. He only really remembered painting 3 of them. He just wanted that feeling of safety again but he didn’t think he wanted it this bad. 

The upcoming weeks, Guillermo continued to stalk the block in which he had met his mystery man. To no avail, he was still missing. Giving up seemed to be the best option. Better than obsessing over a chance meeting with a stranger that he would most likely never see again. It had been over a moth after all. What was he to expect? He very much doubted that this stranger was also infatuated with him, looking for him, dreaming about HIM. “Two more days, just get through this gallery opening and you can relax.” Talking himself down had become an anxious habit, one that seemed to work for him. “Just get home, and get to bed.” Guillermo didn’t dream of his mystery stranger that night. He slept deeply and woke up very well rested. “Tonight is the opening, just get through it.”

The opening went off without a hitch and he wanted nothing more, than to go home after a long night of appeasing the patrons and artists. Guillermo made his way down the block, thinking of dinner and bed when he thought he heard something. “Psst” Guillermo’s head tilted. “Great, now I really am hearing things.” “Psst. Hey, Guy!” He took a few steps back and he could feel it. Without even looking, he knew. He was shocked and elated, this time he would say more than two words but the stranger spoke first. “I have your book of parchment.” The man outstretched his arm from the shadows, holding a book. “Oh, my sketchbook! Thank you. I didn’t even know it was missing.” He reached for it, grazing the man’s hand in the process. Guillermo blushed. “I-uh, I’m Sorry for bumping into you the other night.” The stranger stepped out of the alley. “Yes, you are very clumsy.”  
“Well, thank you… For returning my notebook… Who are you?” The stranger stepped almost uncomfortably close to him. “My name is Nandor and you what is your name?” He was a little surprised, not because he had asked him his name but because he was even closer to him now, their chests touching, “I’m Guillermo.” Nandor looked down at him just as he had in his dreams. Guillermo stepped back a bit and held out a hand. He grabbed it with apprehension. Nandor wanted to say more, like how he had actually been following him since their first meeting and how he couldn’t stop thinking about him, how he wanted nothing more than to keep him safe, but instead he let go of Guillermo’s hand and said. “Okay.Great.” Guillermo was confused, Nandor was confused. “Do you live near here?” Nandor had asked a question that he already knew the answer to. What was he supposed to say though? “Hello, my name is Nandor and I have been watching you through your window since the night we met?”  
“Yeah, I’m only a few more blocks from here.” They began to walk side by side, drawing even closer with each step. Nandor put his arm around Guillermo, cautiously pulling him close to his side, as if his cape could protect them both. Guillermo had no complaints and felt safe with him. His mysterious stranger.


	2. The Catch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nandor wasn't looking for anything other than food that night. When a human runs into him, he has him feeling different. So much so that he thinks this human can fill his void of loneliness.

Nandor was old, very old, though looking at him you would never be able to tell. He was a conquerer in his time, having pillaged many villages but honestly living as a vampire was getting old. Life had become mundane. More of a nuisance and he didn’t know how to get out of this rut. Every night was the same. Wake up, brush his hair, polish his weapons and hunt. He was bored of it and more than that he had become lonely, though he would never admit to it. Picking up another weapon to polish and feeling hungry, he decided it was time to eat. Little did he know that tonight his loneliness was about to change.

Even when Nandor was a human, he had no empathy for them, killing was not a problem. The problem for him was not looking suspicious. He did after all wear a cape, have very long hair, the top of which was in a bun and lets not forget to mention his overall large stature.“I have a good feeling about this night.” He had always tried to talk himself up when it was feeding night. Throwing his cape on over his shoulders and securing it into place, he felt good. “Right, I am ready.” Turning into a mist, he headed out through the door and began his hunt. Flying high above, he began to look down on the world. He had been flying for over an hour when, “There” he had spotted an alley “That looks good.” Nandor had landed softly and having just barely turned around, he felt something hit his chest. Looking down he found what seemed to be a deliciously, clumsy human who was obviously not paying attention. Nandor had heard him drop his phone, he picked it up and thought this could be his in, he would hand the human the phone and go in for the kill. “Yes, tonight, the food has come to me.” He was ready to lunge for the humans neck when suddenly, ”I’m sorry.” Hearing the human, he was taken aback, this clumsy human had him feeling different. Saying nothing, he held out the phone, the human looked up, grabbed it and just like that, Nandor fled. He had only gotten a small glimpse of what could have been his dinner before fleeing.“I don’t care for this feeling”

Returning home, Nandor recounted what had just happened. It had been a long time since he remembered ever feeling any sort of emotion that wasn’t anger or loneliness. Taking his cape off, he sat down in his library, contemplating what he had just flown away from. “That human… I’m not sure” Trying to figure out what his next move should be he muttered to himself. “No matter he is gone.” Nandor, still had that clumsy scent on his nose, he could find him. The clock in the library rang, telling him that it was almost 5 in the morning and time for coffin. He hadn’t even realized the time, he had spent the last few hours just sitting there, thinking. He was gruff as he got up and walked into his room. Ready for rest, he stepped into his coffin and laid down, pulling the coffin lid closed, a thought crossed his mind. “Yes, I could find him.” 

The next night when Nandor awoke, he found himself ready to hatch the plan he had been sleeping on. “I must go back to the scene of the crime!” This night was different, this night he didn’t polish his swords, or think about his next meal, he did however brush his hair but other than that, the only thing he had on his mind was that human. Throwing on his cape, he turned into a vapor and again headed through the door. He flew back to the alley and landed right where he had the past night. Inspecting the scene for any lingering scents, he spotted something. “What are you?” It was a sketchbook, picking it up he flipped through some pages, “Yes, that is him. It smells like, ungracefulness and parchment.” He was just about ready to fly off with it when, “footsteps.” Hovering above to get a better view, there he was, his human. He watched as he walked down and up the alley, leaving discouraged. “Well, that was easy.” Still flying over head he followed him for a few blocks and then a few more, until the human stopped and entered a rather shabby looking building. “This is where he lives? Okay.” Nandor flew passed several windows before finally finding him on the 5th floor.“Yes.” Floating outside of the window he pulled out the sketchbook from his cape, he wanted to return it, but more than that he wanted to see him again, to smell him again. Instead he stayed there all night, watching him as he painted. Looking in even closer at the humans belongings he spotted a brightly colored canvas leaning against a wall. “Is that me?” Nandor was genuinely asking, he hadn’t seen himself in over 700 years but before he could think about it any longer, his human turned the lights off. “Shit.” 

On his flight home, he was ecstatic, ecstatic that someone was thinking about him not just thinking about him, but, painting him. “Wow, I really am handsome.” Returning home, he removed his cape and grabbed the notebook from his inside pocket. Stepping into his coffin for the day, he closed the lid, holding the notebook to his chest. “My clumsy human.” 

It had been a month now since Nandor had begun spying on his human. He didn’t mean for so much time to pass but he couldn’t bring himself to meet him. This man who made him feel such feelings, feelings he had thought were long gone. For the first time he had met a human he didn’t want to kill. Knowing that he was also thinking of him only made it worse. How was he supposed to casually introduce himself? It’s not like he had all of the charm in the world, in fact he had close to none. “I could hypnotize him… No, that is not feeling right.” The thought had left just as quick as it had arrived. He didn’t want to hypnotize him, he wanted this human to want him without any tricks. “Tonight… I will go tonight and be done with it.” 

Flying into the alley, Nandor landed with ease.“Yes, he is always walking past here, I will wait… what time is it? I am done waiting,”Just as soon as his boredom had reached its peak (a whole 15 min.) He heard footsteps.“It’s him! Do I step out?” He was hesitating and almost stepped forward when he realized he would soon miss his moment.”Psst!” Nothing. “Psst! Hey, guy” “oh no.” he thought. “He didn’t hear me.” Looking forward ready to shout again he saw him. His human had taken a few steps back and looked right at him through the darkness. “Oh, shit.” Nandor thought, saying the first thing that came to his mind. “I have your book of parchment.” He out stretched his arm from the shadows, holding the book.“Oh, my sketchbook! Thank you. I didn’t even know it was missing.” The human reached for it, grabbing it quickly “I-uh, I’m Sorry for bumping into you the other night.” Nandor stepped out of the ally and looked down at him, there was that feeling again, the one he wasn’t sure about. “Yes, you are very clumsy.” The human grinned slightly and responded, “Well, thank you… For returning my notebook… Who are you?” Standing in shock Nandor stepped close to the human, very close, so close he could feel his warmth. “My name is Nandor and you? What is your name?” The human looked up. “I’m Guillermo.” Stepping back Guillermo held out his hand toward him. Nandor looked at him oddly and slowly reached for his hand in return. He wanted to say more, like how he had actually been following him since their first meeting and how he couldn’t stop thinking about him, how he wanted nothing more than to keep him safe but instead he let go of Guillermo’s hand and said.“Okay.Great.”It was in that moment Nandor had experienced another new feeling, this feeling was embarrassment. Thinking fast he asked “Do you live near here?” Of course he lived near here he knew where he lived. “Yeah, I’m only a few more blocks from here.” Nandor waved his hand forward, as if to say, “After you.” Instead Guillermo walked right next to him, growing closer. Nandor feeling not uncomfortable, decided to put his arm around Guillermo. He pulled him close to his side, cloaking his cape over his shoulders. Nandor felt safe but more importantly he felt that he was keeping him safe. His clumsy human.


End file.
